Whiskey Kisses (16 page)

A smile inches up her face. Her lashes lower seductively. “I was sort of hoping we could see them from your place.”

“Done.” Hot damn. “Cole.” I nod over at him as I make my way around the bar. “Man the fort would you?” It’s pretty much dead right now. The closer it gets to sundown, the fewer people we’ll have. Everyone is out enjoying the evening, sipping cold ones while sitting next to a fire, so I don’t feel too bad about taking off early.

“I got this.” He nods over to Iz with approval. “Have fun.”

“Already am,” I whisper.

Izzy wraps her arms around my waist, and we walk out of the bar like that—like a real couple.

A wave of sweet summer air hits us as we head into the parking lot. I walk her over to her Civic which happens to be parked right next to my truck, and I take it as an omen of good things to come.

Izzy pulls me in tight.

“So”—I land a kiss over her forehead, and my muscles relax for the first time in a week—“what makes you so sure I’m the one?”

“You make me feel safe, Holt.” She shakes her head. “Do you think I might be the one for you?”

“I know it.” I lean in and cover her mouth with mine. Our tongues mingle in a bout of foreplay like I’ve never experienced before, slow and measured as if to prove the point we have all of time to do just this.

I never thought I deserved something this good—still don’t.

But I’m no fool, there’s no way in hell I’m letting Izzy go.

“Whiskey sour?” Izzy offers a restrained smile as I pass her the drink and drop down next to her on the bench swing. I’ve got a pretty decent view of the Hollow Brook skyline from the balcony, and there’s usually a fireworks show at the park down the street, so I’m betting we’ll have front row seats.

“I cut it with a little Sprite.” I hold up my own glass. “Bottoms up?”

“I think I’ll nurse mine.”

I pull her over to me, and we sit and watch the night sky as the sound of fireworks go off in the distance every now and again.

Izzy spins into me with her drink cradled against my chest. “So how are we going to do this?” She whispers out of breath as if she were anxious for the answer. And I wish I had one to give her.

“I think we’re doing it. One day at a time.”

“Baby steps,” we say in unison.

“Jinx.” I lean down and steal a kiss off her lips.

Izzy moans with approval and tugs at my lips with hers. She pulls back and touches the whisky to her mouth. “It’s good. I approve.”

“I’m glad.”

“You’ll never guess what bomb my mother decided to drop on me this morning.”

“I’m not the explosive in question am I? Let the record show I’ve always had a healthy fear of Bobbie Sawyer.”

She gives a little laugh, and her hair spills over my chest like a dark scarf.

“No, it has everything to do with the studio. She wants to sell it.” Her features melt with grief. I know for a fact that studio is like a second home to Izzy, sort of the way the bar is mine.

“Sounds like we have a lot more in common than we thought.” I tell her all about the talk my father had a few weeks back. “I think I’m going to take the place over myself. I just need to figure out a way to buy out my parents.” I pinch my eyes shut a moment. “It’s going to be a bitch, but I know I can do it.”

“Holt.” She pulls back with a laugh caught in her throat. “I think that’s fantastic. Do you think I’d be able to pull off something like that?”

“I don’t see why not. Heck, maybe your mother would go easy on you and let you take over payments. With my father remarrying a gold digger, who wants to turn those vodka bottles into shoes, it’s a little more complicated. But I know you, Iz, you’ve been running that place on your own since as far back as I can remember. You’ve got this. Are you sure it’s something you want?”

“Want?” She shakes her head and takes another sip. “It’s something I
need
. I can’t imagine my future without the studio in it. It’s been the anchor in my life for as long as I can remember. That’s my baby.” She settles those blazing eyes over me and brushes her fingers across the stubble on my cheeks. “You’re perfect, you know that?” Izzy stills. Her breathing all but stops. “What do you think people will say about us?”

“Who the hell cares what they say. But, if I had to guess, I’m betting they’ll say we’re damn lucky. That’s all anyone should ever say about us.” I sink a kiss over her lips again, and her tongue meets up with mine. The fireworks start up, and we miss the first ten minutes.

Izzy rests her head on my chest as we catch the grand finale. So many brilliant sparks lighting up the night and then they’re gone in seconds, nothing but a memory. I can’t help but wonder if that’s what will happen to us. I started a chain of heartbreak years ago, and I’ve always thought it should end with me. But I’ll fight to keep that from happening to the two of us. She’s the first and only girl I’d fight all of hell to keep safe from the curse I’ve brought on my family.

“What are you thinking?” Her voice rises, soft as smoke.

“I’d fight for you, Izzy. We’re right and nobody can tell us otherwise.”

She looks up as her eyes shine into mine.

“I don’t think we should finish the whiskey, Holt.”

“Why’s that?” A smile tugs on my lips, but I won’t give it.

“Because I want us to be sober for what happens next. I’ve waited far too long for this moment, and I want to remember it. I want you to remember it. I want us to be present with body, heart, and soul for the things we’re about to share.”

My balls pulsate like a bomb.

“And what things are those?” My lids grow heavy with lust. It’s taking all of my strength not to pin her to the floor and make love to her right here under the stars both real and manufactured.

“The thing I’m glad I saved most—me.” She picks up the whiskey sour. “One last sip—a gift from me to you.” She takes a final hit before setting the glass down. Her lips find mine, and I pull the liquor right out of her mouth. Her hands wander up my shirt as the taste of whiskey permeates our kisses. I’ll never be able to look at a bottle again without thinking of Izzy.

“That was one hell of a show,” she whispers, tracking kisses all the way to my ear. “You think you can top that?”

A gentle laugh rolls through me. “Oh, sweetie, I know I can.”

I dig my fingers into her hips as our mouths get lost in one another again.

“How about we take this party somewhere private?” Her lips quiver a bright ruby red. Izzy is glassy-eyed and hopped up on anything but liquor.

“You sure you want to do this?”

“You’re the one who promised to teach me everything and anything I ever wanted to know.” She lowers her lids just enough. “I want to know the things you do, Holt. I’m ready to go there if you are.”

If I had any question on whether or not Izzy was a virgin, I think it’s just been answered. How the hell that happened I have no clue, but I’m damn glad about it. I’d be a liar if I didn’t say I was dying for this moment for as long as I can remember, and now it’s that much sweeter.

She presses her lips to my chin. “You in?”

“All the way, baby.”

“Good.” Her eyes widen as if she were surprised after all. “You’ll be my first, Holt.” Her cheeks redden a deep shade of burgundy, and, in this dim light, Izzy becomes her own shadow.

“I’m glad.” I dot her lips with a simple kiss. “I’m hoping to be your last.”

I scoop her into my arms as we make our way inside. Izzy pulls me down by the neck, and our lips fuse over one another as if we were putting out a fire in each other’s mouths. I kick the screen shut with my foot, but I couldn’t care less if an entire swarm of mosquitoes flew in. There’s not a single thing that could spoil this night.

“You sure about this?” I whisper straight into her mouth through a kiss.

“Positive.” She rakes her fingernails over my bare chest until it feels as if she’s about to draw blood. But I don’t mind. I want it to hurt, to feel good, to do both at the very same time.

We engage in one long lip-lock, bumping down the hall as I carry her to the bedroom. I send up a quick prayer, hoping it doesn’t smell like a pile of old gym socks. But I don’t notice the smell or the fact that I’ve got stacks of crap lying around waiting to greet her in the morning. None of it matters. Right now this is about us, Izzy and Holt, two names I’m hoping will one day be synonymous with one another.

My father and that fucked-up summer bounces through my mind. I don’t think I can live with that guilt forever. Maybe sometime soon I’ll try to figure a way out of that hell. I think I’ve suffered enough. I think we all have.

I sit Izzy down on the edge of the bed and slowly take off my T-shirt. There’s just enough moonlight streaming in, highlighting us until we look like a pair of apparitions. I run my fingers through her hair, soft and slick like strands of silk that go on forever.

Izzy dips her fingers into the lip of my jeans and plays with the button until it gives. She lowers the zipper without ever taking her eyes off mine and gives my boxers a firm tug. I reach down and pull off her top in one easy move. Izzy’s skin glows like marble. The shadow of her bra hugs her curves in all the right places. I reach back and unhook it, holding it together a moment as I lock eyes with hers. She gives a knowing smile as if to say she’s still on board, and that’s all the reassurance I need.

Izzy slinks out of her bra and tosses it in the corner. She falls back on her elbows, exposing herself with her perfect tits splayed out just for me.

“
Fuck
,” I whisper.

Izzy blows out a breath as she tugs down my Levis, and my boxers flee right along with them.

This is it, the point of no return, and I’m damn glad about it.

I steady my knees to either side of her as I dive in for a kiss. My dick scrapes against her bare stomach, and she cinches with a laugh.

“Hello,” she says, wrapping her fingers around it. “Nice to meet you, too.”

“He’s dying to get to know you better.”

“Maybe he should come inside and stay a while?” She teases, pulling me over her in the process.

I reach down and work like hell to get those skintight jeans off her body. She slinks right out of them and they thump to the floor with a pronounced finality.

This is it—nothing but skin over skin. The moment I’ve spent half my life dreaming of is actually here with the girl I’ve always loved. A part of me wants to say those words. To say them every minute of every day until it sinks in for her. If anyone deserves to be loved it’s Izzy. But I don’t plan on spooking her—baby steps. For now I’ll just have to show her how I feel. Make love to every inch of her, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing all night long.

I reach to the nightstand and pull out a condom, hold it up to the light for her to inspect.

She gives a little laugh. “Is this the part where I say trick or treat?”

“You don’t have to. I plan on delivering both.”

Her chest rumbles with a laugh and takes me with it. “That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.”

“If you’re nice, I might throw in a few fireworks.” I run my lips in long, hot tracks all the way down her neck. “Aw, hell—for you, kitten? I’ll throw a few in anyway.”

She arches her back, pressing her tits in my chest, and I die a little on the inside.

Izzy pulls me in and takes a gentle bite out of my ear.

“I feel like I’m going to bring down the party with my lack of carnal knowledge,” she whispers it low like a secret.

“Don’t count on it. But I think it’s too much to teach in just one session,” I tease. “We’ll have to make this a reoccurring event.”

“Oh, is that right?” She rakes her nails over my back, soft as a feather. “You up for nightly sessions?”

I look down at Izzy with the smile dissipating from my lips because things just got serious, and I want to remember everything about this moment.

“I have nothing against the morning or afternoon either,” I whisper.

“Lucky for me, I’ve got nowhere to go tomorrow.”

“That’s funny, I was just about to write myself off the schedule.”

“Sounds like a great idea.” She digs her fingers into my hair.

I wash my eyes over her, naked in my bed with her knees cradling either side of my chest, and I still can’t believe it.

“We’re a great idea.” My mouth lands over hers, exploding with every emotion I’ve ever felt for her.

This is happening.

We’re happening.

And for the first time in a long while, I don’t feel an ounce of guilt over how happy I am.

I hope it lasts.

I hope Izzy and I last, too.